


Chance to Heal

by TimeLadyoftheSith



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Guns, Injury, Just Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 10:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7974106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeLadyoftheSith/pseuds/TimeLadyoftheSith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina Hamby faces her 2nd heartbreak in 4 years, and takes a walk in the woods near her Florida home to clear her head. Her walk turns into a fight for her life, and the last thing she sees is a handsome stranger in a suit and coat. He saved her life, but can he help heal her shattered heart.<br/>(Rated T for some gunshots, mild character kissing, and depression)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The door slammed shut behind her as she fled down the stairs into the growing twilight. The scene she had just witnessed had sparked a rage inside of her, but as she stormed down the sidewalk her rage simmered down into a wave of betrayal and disappointment. She sighed as tears welled into her eyes. She reached the intersection at the end of her road and was faced with a choice, go left or forward and head to one of the few bars in the area, or go right and head into the jogging trails of the woods that backed the massive park. The hard grip of her Glock 42 tucked into her waistband made the bars off limits, and since she couldn't go home to put it away, her only choice was the trails.

She made a right and headed into the woods, ignoring the vibrating phone in her back pocket. The cool air under the trees was a relief, but they kept the Florida humidity more dense than the open air. The path was growing darker and the waning gibbous cast sliver shadows on the well packed dirt. The longer she walked, the larger the knot in her throat grew, and the more the tears in her eyes threatened to cascade down her sweaty cheeks. The cicadas had ceased their song as the sun set fully, leaving her alone in the shadows. 

She made it to a fork in the trail and stopped. The eastward trail looped back to the park, but the westward trail looped around a small lake that was off limits for swimming at night due to the alligators. She took a shaky breath and turned west, wanting the longer path before she had to go home and face her problems. 

The lake was almost in sight when she felt it, eyes on her, watching her, hunting her. She had been in law enforcement long enough go know when danger was nearby. She kept her pace even, her right hand twitching against the jeans concealing her weapon. When she reached the break in the woodline, she heard it, the sound of someone running at her. This someone was large. She spun, pulled her gun up and ready, and came face to face with a towering teal creature. 

It's mouth was vertical, flared open wide, exposing dripping fangs and a three pronged tongue. It yelled in a string of guttural syllables she couldn't understand and lept at her. It's long barbed tongue slashing her face. She screamed in pain as it burned, and fired, watching as the .380 round pierced the flesh above it's pink eyes. It squealed and froze, circling her, lavender liquid oozed from the wound. She followed it, never lowering her gun, and it lept at her again. This time she fired and didn't stop firing until the slide on the gun locked back, empty. The strange creature was huddled on the ground as she scrambled to reload with her extra magazine. She let the slide click back into place and raised her gun again. The creature rose, 6 more holes leaking lavender goo, and she made to squeeze off more shots. 

A loud noise pierced the night, causing her and the creature to yell in pain and drop to the ground. "Gotcha!" A light British accent came from the woods, and a man in a dark blue suit and a long brown coat came running out of the woods, a metal cylinder in his hand emitted a blue light. In his other hand was something that looked like a plastic black ball attached to a box on his back by a tube silver dryer duct. He pointed it at the creature, with a whirring suck it was dragged into the ball. She stared up at the man for a moment, as her eyes began to burn with the same intensity as the cuts on her face. Her ears started ringing and she saw his lips move, but heard nothing. Then her vision turned starry purple, and she knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor had been tracking the Bellacantor for days. It had escaped to Earth after a murder spree that had killed the crown Princess of Atalmorin 5, and the King had called on the Doctor to help track it down. The Doctor, wanting to repay an old debt to the King's grandfather, obliged. 

Now he glowered at the sonic as it whirred. "No, no! It hates water. Why would it head this way?" He grumbled. Then he caught the scent on the breeze, "Human, female, crying, AH HA!" He put on a burst of speed in the direction the sonic was indicating. He swore loudly when he heard the gunshots ring out. 

He burst through the trees, sending sonic waves out to stun the creature. "Gotcha!" His eyes landed on the creature and a blonde woman. Her face bleeding and a gun in her hand. He activated the temporal suspension canister and sucked the creature up. He turned to the woman "There, captured." She looked up at him, her hazel eyes and blonde hair reminding him of another brave and ferocious blonde he had loved so much. Then when she started falling, he registered the blood dripping down her face. He swore in Gallifreyan and pocketed her gun, then picked up her limp form. He channeled all of his strength and ran towards the waiting TARDIS in the woods. Bellacantor vemon was neurotoxic, and a lashing this close to her brain and heart meant he had less than an hour to administer the antidote or she would die. 

He burst through the doors and up the ramp, pausing only a moment to sonic the TARDIS controls to launch them into the vortex, then he headed to the medbay. He eased her down onto an examine table and dug through the cabinets, ignoring the TARDIS scolding him about bringing home strays again. He pulled out a vial of antivenom and injected it into her arm, then started an IV line and began cleaning her wounds. Once she was patched up, he drew a blood sample, and plugged it into the monitoring system and registered her biosignature. He watched the screen as her vitals began to stream across, the antivenom working to combat the neurotoxins. Her heart rate was nearly gone and her respirations were shallow, but they were steadily climbing back to normal.   
She would be unconscious for a good three or four hours. He pulled out her gun, unloaded it, set it on the table next to her, but pocketed the loaded magazine. "I'll be right back." He said softly, and covered her with a sheet.

Once in the control room, he set the coordinates for Altamorin 5. A few moments later he exited the TARDIS into the private chambers of King Craynaro. The king looked up from where he kept vigil over the lifeless form of his eldest daughter. 

"King Craynaro." He said softly as he unshouldered the pack. "Here is the one responsible for the death of your people and your daughter." 

"Is it dead?" The king questioned as he motioned for a guard to retrieve the pack. 

"No, but it is possibly fatally wounded." The Doctor replied. 

"I said we wanted to punish it." The king growled, the golden fur on his back bristling. 

"I did not injure it." The Doctor explained, running a hand through his hair. "It fled to Earth and made the mistake of attacking an American. They do love their guns." 

The king's growl eased off and his fur settled back into place. "Did this human live?" 

"Barely, she was lashed, and is in my ship recovering as we speak." The Doctor touched the TARDIS with his mind, and her song confirmed that his stray blonde American was still unconscious but steadily improving. 

"Tell her, she has our thanks." The king said, turning back to his daughter. "Will you stay for the funerals?" He asked. 

"Nah." The Doctor replied, turning to the door. "Best to leave the mourning to the ones who loved them the most." Then he left. 

Back on board the TARDIS, he set the controls for the Vortex once more, and made his way back to his injured passenger. He watched her chest rise and fall, and admired her for a moment. She wasn't a stunning beauty, but she wasn't ugly either. Her nose was a bit like a button, and her full bottom lip made up for her slightly thinner upper lip. Her lashes were blonde, which he could see under the smeared black mascara. He read her chemical scans again, noting an influx of hormones that indicated she had been crying prior to the attack. The Doctor checked her front pockets for a wallet, but found none. Not wanting to go on a possibly violating frisk of her bum, he ended the search for her identification.

He pulled a chair up next to her, weeks of no sleep catching up to him. "Who are you blondie?" He chuckled. His last thought before he fell into sleep was why such a brave woman would be crying in the woods alone.


	3. Chapter 3

She was burning. She screamed as she tried to bat the flames out that encased her body. They grew stronger, coating her throat and choking her. She cried out without a sound and stumbled through the trees. She couldn't understand why the leaves didn't burn when she touched them. A thorn pricked her arm, and the sharp prick spread cool water into her veins. It was like a creek, the way it bubbled through her veins, slowly quenching the uncontrollable furnace of her flesh. The forest gave way to a white room around her. It was void of anything but light. "Am I in Hell?!" 

A soft song began in her mind. It held words, but was simultaneously lyricless. It soothed her frantic heart and eased her labored breathing. A man's voice murmured just beyond her understanding, and cool hands danced across her arms and legs. She fell to the ground, and whimpered softly "help me." Then pain pulled her down and down, and she fell into a blackness. She cried out once more "Help me!"

She jerked awake, sitting up, her head spinning as her mind registered the attack that had happened. Her peripheral vision found her gun, and she grabbed it, knocking the glass next to it to the floor. She pointed it at the man, who had just jerked awake next to her, and winced as the IV in her arm pinched. She knew the gun was empty by the lightness of the metal. "Who are you?" She croaked and coughed, another dizzy spell nearly causing her to fall off the small hospital bed she was in. 

"Easy now." The man said, as he grabbed her arms to steady her. "You Americans and your guns." He chuckled, his British accent accentuating his amusement. "I'm The Doctor." 

"Doctor?" She asked lowering her gun. "What hospital am I at?" She set her gun down, it was useless without rounds anyways, and in her state she diubted she could aim straight enough to hit anyone with it. She blinked at the man. "You saved me from that thing." Her voice cracked again.

The Doctor stood up and fetched her another glass of water and some bandages. "Drink, and I'll explain." He chuckled again. His brown eyes danced.

She took the time was she was drinking to examine the room she was in. Most of the equipment here was too advanced to be a regular hospital. The low humming noise in the back of her mind also permeated the room, swelling out of the walls. It seemed almost like it was soothing her. There were no sounds of paging for staff, no background chatter, and no staff rushing about. This had to be some fancy secret government hospital. Where else would some strange British guy take her after being attacked by a monster. 

She examined the man standing beside her. He was tall, lithe, and had a friendly face. He was handsome, in a professor or librarian type way, and had a head full of the most fantastic brown hair she had ever seen. She handed him the glass. "Thank you, for saving me." 

"It was my pleasure." He smiled again, taking a seat. "What's your name?" 

"What kind of doctor doesn't check a patient for ID?" She asked incredulously. 

"The kind that doesn't want to fondle his patients bum when he can't find it in the front pockets." He replied with a smirk. 

"I'm Regina." She said. "So is this where the big guys in black suits come and yell at me for interfering with government affairs, then have me sign a gag order." 

The Doctor laughed. "What?! No!" He leaned forward to unhook her IV and bandage the small bleeding spot there. "That creature that attacked you was a Bellacantor. It comes from the planet Altamorin 5."

Regina burst out laughing. "Seriously?! Oh come on! If it was an alien, then why are there no black suits in here quarantining me?!" 

"Because UNIT isn't in Florida, and besides, they know better than to get in my business." The Doctor rolled his chair over to check some monitors. "You should be able to stand in a few minutes. The antivenom has finished it's job, but your legs may be weak."

"UNIT?" Regina asked looking towards the door. "What unit? We're nearly two hours from the nearest national guard unit or air force base."

"Not a unit." The Doctor said tousling his brown hair. "The UNIT. It stands for Unified Intelligence Taskforce. They monitor all the alien activity in the Sol system." Then he smirked. "As for being two hours, weeeeeeell we're actually much farther than that."

Regina swallowed. "Where did you take me." 

"More like when." The Doctor replied. "You're on my ship. She's called the TARDIS. That stands for Time and Relative Dimensions In Space. We are currently parked in the time vortex." 

Regina burst into laughter. "You're fucking with me right?! She joked. "This is a prank?" 

"Nope." He replied, popping the P as he did. "'M 'fraid not." He stood up and held out a hand. "Here. I'll show you." 

Regina took his hand, his grip cool against her skin. She thought of the cool hands in her dream touching her legs. "Show me." She was slightly afraid, but if this man wanted to kill her, he could have by now. She followed him, fingers intertwined with his, out of the cold medical room and into a long hallway. 

The lights were soft reflected dimly off the metal floor. Doors lined the hall, and one was wooden, etched with roses. It had the only dusty knob of them all. He led her slowly into a towering room, lined with coral colored arches and beams. Railings wrapped in padding surrounded a grated platform. In the middle of the platform was a massive circle of controls with a towering blue tube that undulated gentley. That humming was louder here, and it gave way to that same lyricless singing. Regina gasped and dropped his hand. "I've been abducted by aliens."


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor was amused at the line of thought Regina jumped on to. She had been close by assuming it was a government thing, because if UNIT had found out about the Bellacantor, it would have ended up with the American branch of UNIT quarantining off the whole city. He wondered what type of work she did. Judging by the way she took things in stride, didn't panic, and her aim, he assumed she was military or law enforcement. 

Her exclamation in the control room made him laugh. "To me, you're the alien." He replied as he headed to the controls. "And I didn't abuct you. I saved your life. A little thanks wouldn't hurt." 

"Thank you." Regina replied, eying him warily. "You're not human? You look human." 

"You look Time Lord." He retorted. "Like I said. I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm 947 years old. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterberos." 

"What the hell is a Time Lord?" She asked approaching the console. "And what is that singing noise?" 

The Doctor looked up from setting coordinates. "You can hear her?" He asked. 

"Hear who? All I hear is a woman singing. Sounds like angels from the old movies"

"The TARDIS. She's sentient and telepathic. She gets inside your head and can translate all languages. You shouldn't be able to hear her sing though. Only a few humans can." He strode over to Regina, staring down into those hazel eyes. They stared back, almost undaunted. Yet just, there, he could see a flicker of fear and another of sadness. 

"Well I can kinda hear her. If I try to focus on the song, it fades into a hum." Regina replied, and broke the stare. Her eyes settled on the time rotor. "What is a Time Lord?"

"My people. We're from a neighboring system. We are called Time Lords, because we can see time streams. The turn of the future, and every path it can take is open to us." The Doctor explained. 

"You're lying." Regina accused stepping up to the console. "Nobody travels in time or space like this!"

"I'll prove it." The Doctor's hand flew across the controls. The TARDIS jerked, sending Regina tumbling into the jumpseat. He helped her up. "Look out the door." He said raising an eyebrow. 

Regina crossed the floor and opened the door. They were orbiting Saturn. It's massive rings splayed out below. She gasped and turned to face him.

"July 24th, 2016 1678 Watercress rd, Tampa, Florida, 6:30pm." Regina blurted out. 

"Shut the door." The Doctor laughed dancing around the controls. The TARDIS lurched again, this time the whirring of the time rotor indicating that they had materialized at the location. He ran down the ramp and grabbed her hand as they exited the ship. 

They were on a typical row of homes at the end of a suburb. He followed Regina's gaze to an off white one story house with a slightly raised front porch. The drive way was held a black truck. "Is the ship cloaked" She asked turning "Don't want the neighbors freaking out... Oh my God it's a box." 

"Yep." The Doctor replied. "Bigger on the inside."

"Well no shit." She murmured walking around it. 

"So why here?" The Doctor asked as Regina made the obligatory circle of the TARDIS, and came to stand next to him. 

"To see this." She sighed as a silver sports car pulled into the driveway. A tall and toned brunette stepped out and so did a taller good looking man. They laughed as they made it to the door and the man kissed the woman, pushing her back into the home. "I've seen enough." She growled and stormed back into the TARDIS. 

"You used me to spy on your boyfriend?!" The Doctor exclaimed following her. 

"Yes." She said as she stopped in front of the console. "I needed to know." She was staring down at the controls, tears slowly leaking out. 

"He's an idiot." The Doctor said simply as he shut the door. "No use crying over a dunderhead like that, Regina." He sighed. If any of his time with his past blonde companion had taught him anything, it's that sometimes women just needed to cry. 

"I'm the idiot." She replied. "I want to go back to just after you saved me." Then she headed back down the hallway to where she had left her few things in the medbay.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina found her gun where she left it on the bed. She picked it up and slid it back into the holster inside her waist band. She'd have to ask the doctor for the mag back. She wiped viciously at the tears soaking her face. She had been so stupid to believe that he was different. That Andrew would be the man who proved everything she believed wrong. He had been there when Eric cheated, and supported her through the divorce. He had been a gentle friend as she recovered, and never made a move in the whole year before she realized she had feelings for him. He had been the only friend she had retained when the divorce finished, and she left Tampa Police Department to work for Hillsborough County Sheriff's office. She couldn't stand being where Eric was. Then he pulled the same low blow that Eric had. 

She spotted a sink with a mirror that hadn't been there a moment before, and washed her face to hide the blotches on her cheeks. "You're a fucking naive moron." She whispered to her reflection. "You should have known better to think you were ever going to be enough for anyone. You're not even remotely important." 

"Don't say that." That British accent whispered from the doorway. She turned in surprise, and the Doctor stood there, his face forlorn, and hands in his pockets. "Everybody's important." He murmured. "Everybody matters." 

"Not me." She replied. "But I'm used to it." The Doctor stood squarely in front of her now, and she looked up at him. His eyes were sad and spoke an unimaginable age. 

"Come with me." He said, pulling a hand from his pocket and extending it to her. "I want to show you one more thing, and then, if you want, I'll take you home." Regina took his hand, and he led her back to the control room, down the ramp, and to the doors. He opened them both wise with his free hand, and a dazzling nebula blazed before them. He sat down, dangling his feet over the edge, and tugged her down with him.

She sat, just holding his hand, dangling her feet into open space, wondering how all of this was possible. "It's gorgeous." 

"It's just dust, gas, rocks, and light." He said simply. "Just insignificant things when alone, but pull them together, and..." He waved a hand out at the spiraling wonder before them.

Regina stared at the breathtaking sight and sighed, her tears ebbing away. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Regina." The Doctor replied. After a few moments he stood. "Sit here a bit longer. I need to make a call." 

"You have a phone?" She giggled. 

The Doctor smiled back, and disappeared down the hall. 

Regina sat, watching in amazement until all her hurt and sadness had been pulled away, disappearing in the purplish pink light. When she turned, the Doctor was leaning against the console, watching her, a sad smile on his own face. "Normally, I'd ask if you want to travel with me, but that look in your eye tells me you aren't too keen on the idea."

Regina blushed. "It's amazing, really, all of this, but I think I've got some things to take to take care of."

"Yeah." The Doctor smirked. "I guess you do." He walked forward to help her up. "But I was wondering. If you lived with your boyfriend, what are you going to do now?" 

"Dunno yet." Regina replied. "I was waiting on a slot to open up with the local sheriff's office"

"Cop! I knew it!" The Doctor grinned childishly. "So, I made a call. I may have something for you to do that gets you out of this negative space you're in. Remember how I mentioned UNIT?"


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor left Regina sitting at the doors, and made his way to his room to grab the cellphone that Martha had left him. He picked it up and dialed a number. 

"Doctor! What's wrong?" Martha's voice answered. 

"Nothing, listen. I need a favor." 

"Anything, what is it?" She replied.

"I have a new friend. Now, she had a nasty run in with a Bellacantor." He paused as Martha let out a sigh. "Well, she doesn't want to travel with me, but she has some skill with a gun and is good in a fight. You and Mickey have an empty spot on your team." 

"Of course we do. When should when expect you?" Martha replied.

"Are you two in America in 2016?" 

"Yes we are." 

"Great! I'll text you the address and date." He hung up the call and texted her. He came back into the control room, where he explained Martha and Mickey to Regina. 

"So?" He paused. 

"You're amazing." Regina replied and enveloped him in a hug and planted a soft warm kiss on his cheek. 

"Well let's get you home to get your things." The Doctor replied blushing, and turned to set the controls to help his new friend plan a future that would show her how much she mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a comment!

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first Doctor Who fic. Haven't written a fic since 2006. Those can be viewed on fanfiction under pen name of silent tears not withheld


End file.
